Improvement in napkin-supporters



M. BURNETT. Napkin Su pporter.

Patented April 2,1878.

NPEIERS, FHOTOJJTHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT O EIoE.

MARSHALL BURNETT, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN NAPKlN-SUPPORTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,863, dated April 2,1878; application filed March 8, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL BURNETT, of Hyde Park, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Napkin-Supporters; and do hereby declare the same to bedescribed in the following specification and represented in theaccompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig.2 a side View, of a supporter embracing my invention.

The invention consists of a screw-clamp and lazy-tongs pivoted thereto,or of such and of a clasp pivoted to the clamp, all being essentiallyand for use as set forth.

In the drawings, A denotes the clamp, such as usually employed forfixing an article to the edge of a table or bench. The screw of theclamp is shown at a. To this clamp is pivoted the lazy-tongs B,to whoseupper joint there may be fixed a button or small knob, 1). Furthermore,the clasp represented at O is hinged to the outer end of one of the jawsc d of the clamp, extends across the opening between such jaws, andhooks upon the outer end of the other jaw, all being formed and arrangedas shown in the drawings, in which the lazy-tongs are exhibited asinclined at an obtuse angle to the clamp, such, when the article isplaced in front of a sitter at a diningtable and clamped to the latter,causing the said tongs to incline toward him, in order that when anapkin is laid and extended down in front of the tongs, any food thatmay accidentally escape from the person while eating, or

while being transferred from the table or plate,

may fall upon the napkin and be retained thereby, or be deflected by itinto the plate or upon the table.

The clasp applied to the clamp is to enable the latter to be used likea'napkin-ring to support a napkin when not in use or hung on thelazy-tongs, in which case the latter are to be closed.

From the above it will easily be seen how the clothing of a person,while he or she may be at table and engaged ineating, may be protectedby a napkin duly applied to the lazy-' tongs of the supporter; also, howafterward or before the supporter may be used to hold the napkin in afolded state.

I claim 7 1. A napkin-supporter consisting of the clamp andthe-lazy-tongs, applied essentially as set forth.

2. A napkin-supporter, substantially as described, consisting of theclamp, the lazytongs, and the clasp, arranged and applied in manner andto operate as and for the purpose or purposes specified.

MARSHALL BURNETT.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, Jon: B. Snow.

